9781422283615

FAST FACTS LONDON STATUS Capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland AREA 607 sq miles (1,578 sq km) POPULATION 8,173,000 GOVERNING BODY

Nelson’s Column towers over Trafalgar Square. It is 184 feet (56 m ) tall and the statue on top is of the naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson.

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33 local councils and the Corporation of London, plus the Greater London Authority (from 2000) CLIMATE Temperature averages 41°F (5°C) in January and 64°F (18°C) in July TIME ZONE Greenwich Mean Time (Nov. to end March) British Summer Time (end March to end Oct.) CURRENCY

Local and national government London is divided into 33 boroughs, including the City of London. Thirty-two of the boroughs are run by local councils. The City of London has it own special structure. The City’s Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen, and Court of Common Council oversee a much smaller area than the Greater London Authority does. The Greater London Authority has two parts—the Mayor and the Assembly—that run the whole city. In 2000, the first Greater London Authority elections were held.

Sterling: 100 pence = 1 pound OFFICIAL LANGUAGE English

The Houses of Parliament on the north bank of the Thames. The clock tower is known as Big Ben, but this is only the name of the huge bell inside.

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LONDON